On Hold
by Jaded Baby
Summary: Andie Hanson, a telekinetic, is picked up by Ororo and Kurt on their way to pick up a pyro - Andie's boyfriend. Where will the fun end?


Disclaimer: checks previous lives Nope. Didn't create X-men. What a shame.

on a bright computer screen

KestrelHawk3: BRB love, GTG the door.

Bloodsinger29: OK

ten minutes later

Bloodsinger29: Darling?

Bloodsinger29: Andie, R U OK?

Bloodsinger29: U even there, Andie?

ERROR: … KestrelHawk3 has signed off …

screen blanks out

"You know, I could have at least told him I was leaving." I protested as the lady with the silver hair logged off my screen name. I sighed with sheer resignation and exhaustion as she packed up my laptop and handed it to me.

"No time, Coriander." She handed it to me. "We've another to pick up, and the Professor wants us back soon, okay?" Pausing, she peered at me. "Do you prefer Coriander, Andie, or CJ?"

"Andie or CJ. Your choice." I followed silently, playing with a purple plastic ball that I picked up off the table and levitated in front of me, bouncing it up and down and letting it flow into loop-de-loops. "Who are we picking up?" I asked as we boarded a jet that I was sure the neighbors were very curious about.

"A boy in Andover."

"Really? What's his name? What does he do?"

"We're going to have tons of trouble with him." She winced. "He's a pyro. He can manipulate and create fire… he just won't know until he gets extremely frightened. His name is... I can't remember. Kurt? What's the boy's name?" She spoke to a blue-skinned man sitting in the corner as we took off.

"Aiden Caleb Quinn."

The ball I'd been levitating thudded on the floor, bouncing across it erratically.

"You're sure?" I demanded.

Kurt nodded. "Ororo looked him up. He's Irish; his grandfather emigrated from Ireland about forty-five years ago."

"I know." I said softly.

"How do you know?" Miss Ororo demanded just as softly. "He's not the boy that you wanted to tell that you were leaving?"

"He prefers Aiden, by the way." I smiled an affirmation. "He won't be frightened, don't worry. He'll be awfully pleased to see me, too." I smiled and wiggled in my seat in anticipation. Leaning back, I automatically half asleep – jets always did that to me.

"Coriander." I was instantly and grumpily shook awake moments later by Miss Ororo. "We've arrived, Coriander."

"For God's sake, call me Andie or CJ. I HATE Coriander." I rubbed my eyes and swung to my feet, calling the ball with my outstretched hand from the far corner and manipulating the stuffed pink elephant he'd given me from my backpack. "All right. You want me to go first?"

"No, we will. We need to speak to his parents." I noticed she was dressed in civilian clothing under a blazer with a yellow and red X emblazoned within a circle. "You can speak with Aiden, and calm him down to the point that he won't scorch the hairs off our heads."

"He won't." I tossed my hair into a ponytail and eased my way down the stairs – I was afraid of heights, though oddly reassured by being inside something, namely a jet.

We all walked to the door, where Kurt – heavily disguised – knocked on the door. It was opened cautiously by a tiny, wizened old man. "Yes?" He demanded, fiery nature giving him away as being Irish.

"Are you Aiden's grandfather?" Miss Ororo asked politely.

"Yes," he answered, "My name's Collin. Just moved in… what do you need Aiden for? Is the little twit in trouble already? I'd hoped he'd restrain himself until I'd been here for at least a week."

"No, sir. Please, may we come in and speak with Aiden's parents, and if possible, Aiden himself?" Miss Ororo requested.

"I don't see why not." Collin Quinn let us into the house, filled practically to the brim with Aiden's mother and father, plus his three paternal uncles and their total - including his siblings and himself - of twenty-one children. "Fiona? Neil? Can one of you bring Aiden into my office, please?"

Aiden's teary mother nodded and scampered upstairs while his father also nodded and followed Mr. Quinn, Miss Ororo, Kurt, and I into Mr. Quinn's office. Seconds later - with me hidden firmly in the shadows behind Kurt with one hand entangled in his jacket in case Aiden realized his powers and shot something toward us - he entered, sullenly trailing his mother. They settled into two chairs in the five chair semi-circle that was Mr. Quinn, Miss Ororo, Aiden, Mum, and Da.

"First of all." Mr. Quinn turned, businesslike, to Miss Ororo. "What's your name, Miss? Where did you come from?"

"Ororo Munroe, Mr. Quinn." She replied. "I have been sent by Charles Xavier, who is headmaster at Xavier's School for Gifted Youth."

"And what kind of school is this, that they want our Aiden?" Mr. Quinn asked, slightly amused. "He is a bit of a delinquent, Miss Munroe. I know his mother would rather I told you that after he's been accepted, but I feel you'd rather know up front. He is a good boy, all told, but he does have his moments."

"We are a school for mutants." Miss Ororo said, bluntly. "I know I didn't say that as nicely as we should, but I feel that since you have been honest with me, I will be honest with you. Aiden is a mutant. There is nothing wrong with it, and his powers – if properly taught and controlled by himself – should cause a great deal of improvement in his temperament. His temper reflects his powers, oddly enough."

Aiden's mother looked rather like she'd like to shrink into the corner with fear. Mr. Quinn shot her a stern glance and inquired, "Are you a mutant, Miss Munroe?"

"Yes, sir." She replied firmly. "And obviously, I have hurt none of you in any way. I can control weather and create storms anywhere I like, at any time. My associate, Mr. Wagner, can teleport. He is dressed heavily because his appearance tends to upset people. We are currently working on making him a holographic way to cover himself so that he could join normal society. The little girl behind him is currently a bit shy and tired – we've just picked her up from her home. She is telekinetic and can move objects as large as – what do you think, CJ?"

"I can lift about ten pounds now, but I've been practicing." I pitched my voice slightly higher than usual. If Miss Ororo didn't want Aiden to know I was here, I wasn't going to give myself away.

Mr. Quinn considered the information he'd received before asking quietly, "And what is it that my grandson can do, exactly?"

"He should be able to create and manipulate fire." Miss Ororo answered dutifully. "He won't be able to harness it without the help of either a teacher or extreme emotion."

Just then, Aiden's eyes blazed and a stream of fire erupted from his palm, flickering through the air in the direction of me and Kurt.

I jumped up from behind him before he could teleport us and whisked the ash tray from the table, pointing to block the blast before it could reach either of us. Breathing heavily as the fire retreated back into Aiden's palm – completely unnoticed by his wide eyes – I set the ash tray back down on the table and then sat down again, crossing one leg over the other and gently squeezing my elephant.

"A-Andie?" His voice was barely audible as his hand reached for me before collapsing back into his lap.

I nodded.

"Do you know this young woman, Aiden?" Mr. Quinn asked softly.

"Yes, Grandfather. Grandfather, this is Coriander." His breathing was shallow as his hand again reached for mine. "Andie, this is my Grandfather – but you know that."

I got up from my chair with an apologetic glance toward Miss Ororo. She simply smiled and shrugged as I sat down at his feet and grabbed both of his hands in mine, laying my head gently on his knees. He was shaking heavily, and I knew it wasn't just from the shock of me being there. "It's all right, Aid." I murmured, rubbing the back of his hand with my fingers. "It's all right."

Aiden's hands untangled themselves from mine and suddenly I was lifted from under my arms into his lap as he cradled me to him, head bent to mine as my head was kissed and I about had the breath squeezed out of me. "I know, Andie. Everything's wonderful." Eyes filled with tears, he looked up suddenly and ruefully glanced at Mr. Quinn, then at Miss Ororo. "When would I leave?"

"Whenever you'd like, Aiden." Miss Ororo said, obviously pleased. "If it's all right with your parents, of course. The school is free, although donations are encouraged, and we can bring him back frequently to visit. He need not be completely isolated from you. We know he values his family over everything else."

"How would you know that?" Aiden's mother demanded angrily, rising from her chair with an irritable squeal.

Miss Ororo simply pointed at me; still entangled in Aiden's arms, fold of shirt tightly grasped in my hand. "Coriander is very high on his list of priorities."

Aiden's father gently tugged his wife back into her chair and leaned over. "I have spoken with Coriander before. She's a good girl, and she'll see to it that he behaves himself. And if they say he can come back to see us just about whenever he likes, I don't see why not."

Sighing, tears again in her eyes, Aiden's mother nodded sullenly. "If that's what you wish, Da." She sniffed. "I leave it up to you."

"I don't see why not." Mr. Quinn said, smiling. "I, too, have heard of and spoken to the sweet Coriander. She is a good girl, Fiona. She'll take care of your boy. And remember you still have four others to baby until they find their own girls."

Aiden's mother sniffed again, a snotty sound.

"Fiona Quinn." Mr. Quinn snapped at her. "Though you are no daughter of mine, you will mind yourself in my presence – I do know where your father can be found, if need be, so don't you forget yourself, girl."

She sat down again, lip quivering.

Aiden gently smoothed my hair over my head before asking softly, "Grandfather, will you help me pack?"

"Absolutely, Aiden." Mr. Quinn rose with a short, "Excuse me, please. Coriander, please go into the backyard – you will find a several puppies there. Please bring the liver one with the teal collar and the white spotted with the black collar to Aiden's room. If you are allowed pets?" He turned to Miss Ororo.

"Of course. If they can be potty trained and behave themselves, pets are always welcome. One of the girls has twelve birds sharing the room with her and her two roommates, and none of them complain."

I nodded, and trotted out into the backyard. Two of Aiden's cousins were out back playing with the puppies: his ten-year-old cousin Mary Madeline and her two year old brother Joseph. "Hi, Andie!" Maddie (as she was known) called happily. She ran over to a pen and produced two puppies – the puppies that Mr. Quinn had described. She looked down before looking up at me innocently. "Lucy and Mary Catherine were listening at the door, so we know that Aiden is going away." She smiled. "This one – the liver – is Alexander, and the other is Kilabos. Aiden named them for you."

I smiled. "Thanks, Maddie."

"Kilabos is yours!" She handed me a rather floppy white puppy with random spotty flecks of black, brown, and an almost creamy yellow colour. Still grinning, she added, "She's a schnoodle."

"You do and you clean it up." I murmured distractedly, caressing the curly hair. Looking up, startled, I demanded, "She's a what?"

"A schnoodle." She repeated calmly. "Her mom is a schnauzer, and her dad is a poodle. Her mom was only 8 inches tall and her daddy was 7 inches tall." She dragged me over to a tiny miniature schnauzer – pretty little black thing – and introduced me. "This is Cocoa. Say hi, Cocoa!"

The dog jumped on my crouched knee and licked my face happily.

"Maddie," I said, standing up and wiping off my face, "can I have Alexander, please? I think your brother and I ought to be going."

"All right, Andie." Maddie looked down. "You'll come and visit too, right?"

"Of course." I said, caressing the side of her face. "I promise I'll come too. And I'll keep Aiden out of trouble, how's that?"

"Good." She smiled again, and then tucked Alexander under my free arm. "See you soon, Andie!"

"Bye, Madders." I laughed, climbing the stairs as best I could with two squirming puppies. Aiden immediately took them from me and tucked each into a carrier, handing Kilabos' carrier to me. "Are we ready?" I asked, wriggling impatiently.

"Yes." Mr. Quinn hugged me gently. "Aiden, why don't you take your things to the… jet… so I can give Andie something?" Aiden nodded and set off downstairs. Turning to me, Mr. Quinn's eyes filled with tears. "You look just like Aiden's grandmother, you know. It's kind of odd, because we know you aren't related to us. You're what? German and Norwegian?" I nodded, and he handed me a box. "It's not just from me, so don't protest. It's from me, Linny, Terry and Kathy. And Petey." He added as an afterthought. "Petey decided he wanted to help too. We've all seen so much of you, and you've been such a wonderful influence on our little Aiden, that we feel we should give you something special."

I started to protest, but Mr. Quinn cut in instantly.

"Now, what did I say about that?" He said softly. "Just open it."

I flipped open the lid obediently, and a tiny silver Celtic knot with sapphires in four of the loops. My eyes widened noticeably as Aiden's aunt Linny walked in, baby Bridey on her hip. "We'd hoped you'd like it." She said, smiling. "Have fun, little Andie. Take care of my little Aidey. I don't care how old he thinks he is; he's still in diapers to me." She hugged me with her free arm and smiled when I played with one of Bridey's curls. "We'll be seeing you soon, Andie. I think Jacob and I have earned a little vacation."

I nodded, tucking the necklace under my shirt after Mr. Quinn had clasped it around my neck.

"Oh, Andie, and one more thing." Mr. Quinn said, patting my shoulder as I picked up Kilabos' carrier and started toward the door.

"Yes, Mr. Quinn?" I asked, hand still over the necklace.

"You can call me Grandfather."


End file.
